Palo Alto Junior Museum and Zoo prepares for expansion

The Palo Alto Junior Museum and Zoo, founded in 1941, is ready for a renovation.

John Aikin, the museum’s executive director, is focused on expanding the museum and zoo, which each year has about 150,000 visitors.

So far, the Palo Alto Junior Museum and Zoo has raised $25 million from contributors in the Palo Alto community and from the Peery Foundation, which invests in social entrepreneurs and organizations on the San Francisco Peninsula.

Aiken says this museum and zoo is very special because it “allows parents to turn their children loose so that they could lead the experience.”